The North University Centre, Baia Mare, Transylvania, Romania, Department of Philology and Cultural Studies

The 5th International Anniversary Conference: Celebrating Women’s Stories: 50 Years since the publication of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, and 30 Years since the publication of Alice Walker’s Our Mother’s Gardens: Womanist Prose

Venue: The North University Centre, Baia Mare, Transylvania
Time: 10-13 October 2013
Deadline: 15 March 2013

The 2013 Baia Mare international anniversary conference will be dedicated to two major books (and their authors, of course), in the idea of encouraging multi-disciplinary scholars to come and ‚tell their stories‘, under an un-conventional, non-dogmatic, relaxed and future-oriented academic umbrella. Our idea is to look back at some important moments in the development of anything that could be labeled as Women studies, Gender studies, Feminism(s), Womanism, to evaluate, revaluate and meditate on their achievements; at the same time, by getting various perspectives coming from diverse academic walks and hearing stories from many tpes of scholars, we are hoping that we could draw a few lines of development for the future. Our multi-disciplinary conference has proven to be a very good incentive for many scholars to both look back and look forward in the history and tomorrow’s possible developments of the subject matter (the Utopia conference was exemplary in this respect, as well as the one held in 2012, dedicated to translation studies).

We are very happy to announce the distinguished special guests of the 2013 conference. Thus, we are honoured to welcome as keynote speakers,

• Professor Jorunn Økland, University of Oslo, Centre Director – Centre for Gender Research, Oslo, Norway
• Professor Judith Okely, Professor emeritus Hull University, and Research Associate, School of Anthropology, Oxford University
• Ass. Professor Shaju Nalkara Ouseph, Arab Open University, Saudi Arabia
• Dr. Clementina Timus, Senior Researcher, National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics,
• Ms. Ileana Mustatza, a physics teacher, the current and the former Presidents of the Romanian Association of University Women, Bucharest, Romania

Please send abstracts of intended papers (in English and Romanian) on the following subjects:

• the Feminine Mystique historical moment, the life and career of Betty Friedan
• the concept of Womanism, Alice Walker’s life and literary and social activity
• Feminism(s), Women studies at the crossroads (history, possible future developments)
• women’s stories
• the (her)story of more or less famous women in science, humanities, in politics or social activities, artists, writers, but also of ’normal‘ women (which are, sometimes, the same with the story of humanity)

We will also attend cultural events (an art exhibition, a photographic event, a theatre performance, a poetry reading, an exhibition and demonstration of traditional art), and will take a longer trip to the countryside. In northern Transylvania, in the county of Maramure?, the traditional village is still alive. We will take a trip up the mountains to such a village. Our guests will be able to see beautiful places, to meet with an ancient traditional culture, and to have a good time telling stories by the fire.

Abstracts should be sent to Dr. Ligia Tomoiaga – ligiatomoiaga@gmail.com, by March 15th, 2013. The answer of the organizing and the scientific committees will be sent by March 30th, 2013. Conference contributions that are approved by our independent peer-reviewers will be published in a book, at a prestigious publishing house.

The conference fee is €50 for registrations before May1st, and €60 for registrations that are later than the above-mentioned date, or upon arrival. The conference fee will cover participation, conference brief and programme, publication of contributions, official opening dinner, coffee breaks and light lunches.

Details related to accomodation will be provided to those who confirm participation, as the conference will take place in more than one location, and, therefore, the organizing committee will take it upon themselves to sort out convenient accomodation at a rate of €50/night in a single, or a €30 in a double room, breakfast included. An additional €50 will cover all other dinner expenses, for the entire time spent here. Transportation to various locations will be provided by organizers.

Organizing committee:
Dr. Ligia Tomoiaga
Dr. Ramona Demarcsek
Dr. Minodora Barbul
Dr. Luminita Todea

Scientific committee:
Professor dr. Rodica Turcanu
Professor dr. Petre Dunca
Lecturer dr. Ligia Tomoiaga
Lecturer dr. Luminita Todea

Source: H-WOMEN@H-NET.MSU.EDU